Try this: 1. 'Tools' > 'Options' > 'Display' -> Formatting tab click on 'Advanced' button. UNselect - do not select - "apply the default character encoding to all incoming messages" checkbox. Click on OK 2. 'View' > 'Character encoding' > 'Auto-detect' > 'Universal' 3. Restart Thunderbird.

At least in my version (24.6.0), that option / checkbox doesn't exist. At leaast not there. I *HAVE* found an option like that when I right click my individual folders and select "properties". The jury is still out as to whether this will work. Buteven if it does, as a user of thuderbird since way back in "Netscape" days, I have a lot of folders in a lot of accounts, and uncheking the box will NOT propagate the choice to other directories... not even directories lower in the heirachy. Maybe there's a way yo add a variable to the options via the config editor, but if so iill probably be one of those hidden variables that only the coders can tell you about.

I've confirmed now that even setting the individual folder propertis (Eg: right click INBOX -> properties, UNCHECK char encoding option to "apply default to all messages...". Bottom line, if your default is Western iso-8859-1, and the incoming mail is UTF-8, you'll be looking at garbage on the screen.

I guess the bigger question is what does one have to do to actually report the problem in a way that will get the attention of the coders. I suspect the real answer is nothing, just based on the number of years I've both seen these problems and have watched people report them, and counted all the solutions that don't seem to work. But I'd still take the time to report it if there was a way.

https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/

Thunderbird is supposed to be using the encoding in the mail. Setting auto detect to on disables that.

Based on your earlier response I assume you need to press the F10 key to see the tools menu you were refered to. Otherwise the options panel exists in all versions of Thunderbird. It can also be accessed from the options entry on the application menu on the toolbar.

I have examines dozens of mails in my inbox and each honours the character encoding set in the HTML

Content-Type:  text/plain;  charset=utf-8

results in UTF8

The only exception I can find is

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

but as this is basically an obsolete code I expect my default to replace it

You said... Thunderbird is supposed to be using the encoding in the mail.

I figured is "should", i'm just reporting that it doesn't

You said... Setting auto detect to on disables that. Please explain. I've looked at every setting I can find and there is no way to set auto detect to "ON". I DID try setting it to "universal" in an attempt top solve the problem, but I have since restored it to "off", because the universal setting doesn't help.

you said... "Based on your earlier response I assume you need to press the F10 key to see the tools menu you were refered to."

No... I never said that anywhere. I DID refer to Menu->View_>Character Encoding, and I did refer to right clicking on individual folders, to get to the properties dialog, and the general information tab. But F-10 doesn't do anything

You said... I have examines dozens of mails in my inbox and each honours the character encoding set in the HTML

Well, mine NEVER did. A short example from an email I got today pretty much is exemplative of all mail I get from GMAIL...

--089e013a0572a067a404fc73ceda Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8

Ok, very good. Thank you. Phoenix sent you a friend request on Facebook by the way. Talk to you soon.

--089e013a0572a067a404fc73ceda Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Ok, very good. Thank you. Phoenix sent you a friend request= =C2=A0 on Facebook by the way.=C2=A0 Talk to you soon.

--089e013a0572a067a404fc73ceda--

See those incidences pf "=C2=A0"? Each one displays as a strange character, a capitol A with a curved line over it. If I manually set my default encoding to UTF 8, the weird characters go away. If I leave it as Western, there is nothing I can do to tell Thunderbird to "auto detect".

Anyway, I suppose at this point that no one responsible for the product coding is seriously looking at my issue, which is why its never been solved. If anyone does intend to help track it down and solve it, I'll be happy to provide all the examples and screen shots they ask for. Otherwise.

Could you say what you have hear: Tools > Options > Advanced > General tab Click on Config Editor

In top search type: mailnews.force_charset_override; Value = 'false'

What do you have as the Value..true or false? If Value = 'True', double click on line to toggle to 'false'

close window - top right X click on OK to save changes to Options. Close and reopen Thunderbird.

Toad!!! Your suggestion seems to have worked! Indeed after toggling this config variable, it seems that every message I've examined, at least with either western or utf encoding, seems to display properly. Moreover, when I go to VIEW->Character Encoding, I can see that the mark reliably moves to the proper encoding for the message. I have no clue as to why or when this variable was set to 'true', or whether some direct setting in Thunderbird can cause it to be set 'true' but never cleared. Indeed the default is false, though I can's see any checkbox or option changes anywhere in any of the usual standard setup dialogs.

In any case, the issue seems solved now. Hopefully if someone else has the problem, they too will find this solution!!!

I have the same problem and have changed the value from true to false but still the same problem persists pls help me out